Harness-tug securing and releasing device.



` PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

EASING DEVICE.

Attorneys -IIN .m (xv 'f7/(2272 G0659? Inventor,

REL

W. GOETZ.

G AND FILED MA HARNESS TUG SEGURIN APPLICATION UNITED STATES Patented May 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM GOETZ, OF WINNIPEG, CANADA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,826, dated May 2, 1905. Application filed March 1l, 190-1. Serial No. 197,625.

To all whom 1115 may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Gon'rz, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Winnipeg, district of Selkirk, Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness- Tug Securing and Releasing Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in means designed for attaching and releasing horses to and from whiffletrees, whether single, double, or any multiple thereof; and it consists in certain features of novelty in the detail, construction, and arrangement thereof, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, and durable means which may be connected with a whifiietree in such a manner that the Inore complicated parts may be easily protected from accidental destruction and which will contain means whereby the device may be used for more quickly connecting the tugs of a harness thereto in a secure manner and which may be almost instantly placed in position for release of the horseswhendesired.

Another object is to provide cushioning means whereby all rattling of parts is obviated and the device is rendered entirely noiseless in operation.

Referring to the parts, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved device, showing a portion of the pair of tugs connected thereto, as indicated in dotted lines in said figure. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevational view looking at the same as from the position of the driver; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached detail view, partly in section, of one end of my improved whiffletree, the section being substantially a plan view thereof.

In the inclosed drawings, 1 indicates the whiffletree, which. may be of any preferred material suitable for the purpose, which is provided at each end with the shield 2, the said shield being secured to the whi'liletree in such a manner as to cover the cut-out portion 3 of the whiffletree which is shown in Fig. 3. Pivotally connected with the end portion of the wliifiietree 1, and preferably within a malleable casting 4 in the form of a ferrule adapted to be projected over the cxtreme end of the whiffietree 1, is a tug-hook 5, having the forwardlyrojecting nose portion 6 and the rearwar ly-projecting curved extension 7 and the inwardly-projecting lever 8, all of which are formed of one integral casting, which may be of malleable iron or of any other suitable material.

Between the shoulder 9 of the tug-hook 5 and the rearwardlyextending portion 7 is formed a seat 10 for engagement with the tug 11, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) the seat being preferably located at such a convenient distance beyond the pivot 12, upon which the tug-hook is supported, that strain being exerted in the direction of draft will have a tendency to throw the tug-hook into the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 3. The inwardly-projecting lever S is provided with the extension 13, within which is formed seats 14 for engagement with the curved inwardly-proj ecting extension 15 of the slidablc engaging plate 16, which plate 16 is provided with the button-piece 17, which may consist of an ordinary set screw held in position therein or of any equivalent Ineans for the purpose of projecting the member 16 longitudinally within the shield 2 for the. purpose of engaging with the extension 13 of the tughook 5. The shield 2 is provided with an elongated slot 1S, within which rides the m ember 17 the Inetal surrounding the slot 18 limiting the thrust of said member 17, and consequently the thrust of the engaging member 16. Upon the inner end of the member 16 is a hook 19, to which is connected a strap 20 by passing the said hook through a suitable eye or opening in said strap for the purpose of forming a connection therebetween. Connected with the upper surface of the Whifl'letree is a spring-plate 21, having the angular offset portion 22, which is adapted to contact with the tugs and be used when tugs with more than one hook-engaging opening is provided therein for the purpose of retaining the tugs in position upon the tug-hook 5.

It will be evident that where no springplate, as 21, is used the tugs are quite liable to become disengaged from their hooks 5,

leither in the event of the `holes in the tugswbecidental release of the tugs from the hooks 5 aforesaid.

Between the lever 8 and the :adjacent face of thewhiffletree l is interposed a block 23, I

of rubber or someequivalent resilient material, which is adapted to completely -iill the? space between the-:lever Sand the whifiietree .1 when :the 4parts-are in a locked position,` thereby :holding the parts in their relatively` fixed position `and preventing any jarring or` noise which might be incident vto the :rattling of the .parts in use. In operating 'the device the parts are placed in the position indicated -in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, when the .tug-hook v5 may 'be projected through vthe usual opening in the harness-tug 11, and thereby kbecome interlocked therewith.

When it is desired to release the tug-hook fromengagement with the tug, all that is nec- .essary .is to pulldown the strap 24, which is connected with the strap 20, thereby'retracting the sliding plate 16 from engagement with theinner end 13 of the lever 8, whereby draft upon the tug-hooks 5 will cause the same to rock upon their pivots -12 .to approximately ninetydegrees, whereupon the ynose 6 will have become disengaged from .the openin in the tug and the rearward extension 7 w be in 'such` a .position that the tug will slide freely therefrom.

During the -operation of releasing the tug from the tug-hooks 5 the spring-plates 21 will Aperform the function of holding the tugs in proper position to prevent their becoming entangled with the said tug-hook 5 by reason lof the torsional strain on said tugs, and thereby permita perfect release ofthe tug from the hooks 5.

I am awar-e Vof United States Patent N o. 397,733 to Latshaw, and invusing the device therein described have found that .the tugs slip from the hooks when strain .is Ltaken off the -tugs, aswhen descending a hill.

It is evident that the ferrule 4 upon the tug should be of a special construction 'for the vpurpose of my invention, and to that end the frusto-conical body portion is substantially as heretofore formed, but is provided with a bifurcated extension 4a between whichis .provided a slot within which is pivoted the tughook 5. By using a piece of rubber, as 23, suitably secured in position by .means of tacks, clips, or other engaging means, the said rubber being of sufhcient size to completely fill the space between the lever 8 and the contiguous face of the whiffletree 1, a close contactof parts is thereby established which will minimize or wholly prevent any rattling of the parts thereat. The ferrule 4 is preferably provided with grip members 25, adapted -to be lturned vdown over lthe spring 2.1 .for the purpose of locking the same in position, the said spring 21 being also .connect- .ed with the whiffletree by means of a screw or suitable connecting-pin 26 at the'inner end thereof.

In the description of my invention and in the claims wherever the same may be used I do .not wish to be limited specifically to straps, but wish it to beunderstood that any equivalent means Well known in the-arts may be substituted therefor and be within the spirit of my invention; vnor do I wish to be limited in any particular to .the specific construction or mode of operation hereinbefore described, as various detail modifications will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the 'art to whichmy invention appertains, which modifications I Wish it to be distinctly understood are claimed .by meeXcept as hereinafter specifically limited -in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A whiffletree having cut-out portion 3 upon one side extending longitudinally thereof, a shield over said cut-out portion, a ferrule on the end of the whiii'letree, a tug-hook pivotally mounted in said ferrule, and having inwardly-projecting lever with seats, a slidably-mounted 4plate Within said shield and having means coperating with the shield to guide and limit the movement of the slide, and extension to engage the seats of the said lever, a spring-plateon the whiiiietree having angular-offset portion, vand grip members on said ferrule adapted to be turned down over .the said spring-plate .to lock the same in position, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The herein-described device for the purposesset forth, the same comprising a whiffletree having cut-out portion, a shield covering the same, .a ferrule on the end of the whiffletree, :a tug-hook pivotally mounted in said ferrule, and havinginwardly-proj ecting seats, a slidably-mounted plate within said shield having means cooperating with the shield IOO IIO

` 1o grip member on the said errule and mounted to be turned down over the spring-plate to look the saine in position, all as shown and described and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM GOETZ,

Witnesses J Aeon FURTNEY, WM. TIER. 

